When asked to name some of his favorite former NFL players, Washington Commanders rookie linebacker Sonny Styles listed off several household names that included Hall of Fame linebackers Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis and also Kam Chancellor, the imposing former safety of the “Legon of Boom” Seahawks.
The first player Styles mentioned, though, was someone who made a lasting impact on the franchise and the NFL despite his life being tragically cut short at the age of 24.
“When I was younger, I used to love watching YouTube videos of Sean Taylor,” Styles said in an interview with CBS Sports while promoting his partnership with TheraBreath’s “Ready. Fresh. Go.” campaign. “I don’t know why, I just had this obsession of the YouTube videos, the 30 for 30, and just watching how violent he was playing the game.”
Styles has undoubtedly seen the footage of Taylor flattening a punter during the Pro Bowl, a clip that perfectly embodied the level of intensity Taylor played with every time he stepped on a football field.
Like Styles, Taylor was a top 10 draft pick who had been a key player on a national championship-winning team. Taylor, who was part of a Miami Hurricanes team that was loaded with future NFL talent, made an immediate impact upon arriving in Washington.
Despite being just 21 years old, Taylor started 13 games as a rookie and filled the stat sheet with four interceptions, two forced fumbles and 15 pass breakups. His second season included a key fumble return for a score while helping Washington win its first playoff game in six years.
Taylor earned his first Pro Bowl berth in 2006 after setting career highs with three forced fumbles and 114 tackles. He had a whopping five interceptions during the first nine games of the 2007 season before he was killed during a home intrusion. Taylor was posthumously named to the Pro Bowl that season. The Commanders retired his No. 21 in 2021 and plan to build a statue in his name.
Taylor’s tenacity on the football field inspired a generation of future football players, Styles said.
“I’d search through all the 30 for 30s that were on ESPN for that day, always trying to find the Sean Taylor one,” he said. “That was someone I really liked to watch. Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis were two guys I love to watch as well. Growing up, they always just seemed so cool to me, just the way they played the game, which was violent, obviously. They just seemed like bad dudes when they’re out there.”
With the Commanders, Styles is hoping to have a similar persona while embracing coach Dan Quinn’s philosophy.
“We talk a lot about this identity of BMF: Bad M-F’er,” Styles said. “And I kind of like it. It’s like this mindset of, ‘I’m unstoppable,’ basically. I’ve never really had that approach of like, ‘This is our identity of the team.’ You always hear, like, ‘Hard work,’ all these different things. … So, I kind of like that approach. I mean, it’s the way you got to play the game, especially for my position.
“It’s a violent game, so if you don’t have that mindset, it’s probably not gonna be a good day for you. That’s something I’m starting to learn from Coach Quinn.”
It’s not a surprise that Styles grew up watching NFL legends on YouTube. He is, after all, the son of a former NFL player in Lorenzo Styles Sr., who in 1999 won a Super Bowl as a member of the Rams.
He and his brother, Saints rookie Lorenzo Styles Jr., grew up in Pickerington, Ohio, a football-crazed suburb located less than a half-hour away from Ohio State. The Styles brothers played for legendary Ohio high school coach Jay Sharrett at Pickerington Central.
Styles’ first high school game was against rival Pickerington North in a game that was televised on ESPN2. While the pregame hype was centered around then-Pickerington North standout Jack Sawyer (who didn’t play in that game after committing early to Ohio State), Styles stole the headlines once the ball was kicked off. He had nine tackles, an interception and a blocked punt while leading Central to victory.
Styles’ performance that day made an impression on Ohio State, which made him his first college offer shortly after that game. Before going to Ohio State, though, Styles won a basketball state championship in high school while playing alongside former Ohio State and current Villanova forward Devin Royal.
With the Buckeyes, Styles blossomed as a versatile defender who started his college career at safety before moving to linebacker. He won a national title in 2024 while playing alongside his brother and Sawyer, who is gearing up for his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Styles flourished under the tutelage of Ryan Day, who introduced Styles to a new way of thinking as it relates to an athlete’s mentality and well-being.
“We used to have like this red line before you go on the field outside in the grass fields, and we used to say, ‘Once you cross the red line, the game doesn’t care. Whatever’s going on in your life, good, bad or indifferent, the game doesn’t care,'” Styles recalled. “You’ve got to clear your mind and go out there and play because the game doesn’t care.
“But (Day) was also very big on mental health. He would say, ‘When you come back across that red line, your brothers are here and your people are here to love you up, take care of you, be there for you.'”
After winning championships at the high school and collegiate levels, Styles is hoping to have similar success with the Commanders, who underwent significant roster changes this offseason after a turbulent 2025 season. Styles said that the Commanders’ defense, which will field many new faces this season, has already started to build chemistry.
“I think all the guys are gelling really well,” he said. “We actually had little get-together around the corner this week. Everyone likes each other. It’s funny, there’s a lot of trash-talking stuff like that, just hanging out. But I think, the more we play together as the year goes on, I think you’re gonna see the brotherhood out there on the field, because I see it already in practice. There’s a lot of new faces on the defense, so it’s nice to have that already.”
As far as his NFL goals are concerned, Styles wants to help the Commanders capture their first title since 1991, the third and final Super Bowl won under Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, who coached Taylor during his second tenure with Washington. And while the 2025 season was a disappointment, Washington is just two years removed from its first NFC title game appearance since the ’91 season.
“I’m chasing after the Super Bowl,” Styles said. “That’s really like the short-term goal, just trying to help the team win.
“Long term, obviously, want to have multiple Super Bowls, I want to be in the Hall of Fame, and all these things, but just starting like day by day. Right now, I’m trying to earn some playing time, earn a role and help the team win.”
In addition to preparing for his rookie season, Styles is excited to continue in his partnership with TheraBreath.
“I’ve been using TheraBreath for quite some time now,” he said. “It’s a really easy brand to partner with. … I think the best thing about being an athlete is when you’re able to partner with brands that you actually like and you enjoy using. It’s been an awesome experience.”
